Generally, refrigerator appliances include a cabinet that defines a fresh food chamber for receipt of food items for storage. Many refrigerator appliances further include one or more freezer chambers for receipt of food items for freezing and storage. A sealed refrigeration system may operate using a refrigeration cycle to actively remove heat from the fresh food chamber and freezer chambers, as is generally understood. For example, heat from air in the fresh food chamber and freezer chambers may be actively removed therefrom via heat exchange with a suitable heat exchanger flowing a refrigerant therethrough.
The fresh food chamber of a refrigerator appliance is typically set at between 36 degrees Fahrenheit and 44 degrees Fahrenheit. One concern with known refrigerator appliances, however, is that storage of some foods at such temperatures is not optimal for the life of those foods. For example, many fruits and vegetables are best stored at temperatures between 48 degrees Fahrenheit and 58 degrees Fahrenheit, such as in many cases approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Storage of these foods at below such temperatures, i.e. in the fresh food chamber, can reduce the life of the foods. Similarly, storage of these foods at above such temperatures, i.e. in the ambient environment outside of the refrigerator appliance, can also reduce the life of the foods.
Accordingly, improved refrigerator appliances which offer additional storage options at various temperatures above the fresh food and freezer chamber temperatures but below ambient temperature would be desired. Further, refrigerator appliances which offer such additional storage options in an inexpensive and uncomplicated manner would be advantageous.